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My feature on the 20 best photos from WWE television returns this week just in time for Money In The Bank. The next pay per view for the WWE will air live this Sunday, June 17th on the WWE Network from Chicago, Illinois.
For Monday Night Raw, SmackDown Live, and NXT, the time for talking is done and it is time to settle feuds and championships inside of the ring (or potentially outside of the ring with the Last Man Standing Match between Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles).
Currently, on the Money In The Bank match card, there are five championship matches to go with two ladder matches and three grudge matches. There could be a sixth championship match added to the card with the B-Team against The Deleter of Worlds, but at the time of this writing, it has not been announced.
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On the NXT side of things, all titles except for Adam Cole's NXT North American Championship are on the line. In addition to the three title matches, we have a Chicago Street Fight between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano plus Ricochet against Velveteen Dream.
Either of the last two matches mentioned could easily steal the show on Saturday as once again an NXT Takeover is shaping up to be highly entertaining, as always.
When you take a look at the top 20 photos from WWE television this week, you'll notice a trend with several of the pictures. That trend is some rather odd facial expressions.
In addition to reactions, many of these photos capture a wrestler's essence of athleticism perfectly, and the #20 photo is no exception...
#20 - Bobby Lashley is challenged to an Army-style obstacle course
While the feud between Bobby Lashley and Sami Zayn has been lackluster at best, the most enjoyable segment of the feud came this week on Monday Night Raw.
After questioning whether or not Lashley actually served in the military, Zayn set up an obstacle course around the ring.
While I was having flashbacks at the bad segments of the original NXT format, this was actually fun to watch Lashley completely dominate the course (pun intended).
#19 - Taking a chop from Kassius Ohno doesn't feel good for EC3
EC3 had the toughest singles test of his recent stint within NXT (or NX3) when he took on Kassius Ohno in a short, but hard-fought match. While taking a chop from Ohno had to hurt, EC3 got the last laugh when he hit the One Percenter for the win.
While EC3 doesn't have a match at NXT Takeover: Chicago II, many people are speculating that he's going to cost Johnny Gargano his Chicago Street Fight against Tommaso Ciampa after Johnny interrupted EC3's match with Raul Mendoza a couple of weeks ago.
#18 - Jeff Hardy becomes the latest victim of a Shinsuke Nakamura low blow
Ever since Shinsuke Nakamura turned heel at WrestleMania 34 by delivering a surprise low blow to AJ Styles after their WWE Championship match, Nakamura has made it a habit to go low on his adversaries as you can see above in this first-time match with Jeff Hardy.
Unlike the match with Hardy, Nakamura could go low on Styles in their Last Man Standing Match and still have a chance to win the WWE Championship as there will be no disqualifications.
#17 - An ominous final visual before NXT Takeover: Chicago II
Over the past two weeks on NXT television, Lars Sullivan has completely dominated the NXT Champion Aleister Black. First, he shocked the NXT Universe by catching the leg of Black as he was attempting to deliver the Black Mass kick.
On this week's edition of NXT, Sullivan continued his domination by delivering multiple finishers of his Freak Accident. The show would close with Sullivan placing Black on the announce table like some sort of sacrifice as he stood tall holding the championship.
#16 - A wild start to SmackDown Live
If you placed bets on the SmackDown women's Money In The Bank Summit breaking down, you would have made some money (if anyone was crazy enough to take that bet). Paige was interviewing the four women from SmackDown who will participate in the ladder match (Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Naomi, and Lana).
These five women would soon be interrupted by The IIconics (who you'll see on this list later), followed by Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Things would break down and all eight women would go at it at ringside before the referees would break up the fight.
#15 - Who is getting hurt worse by this Bank Statement?
To kick off Monday Night Raw this week, the women who will compete in the Money In The Bank Ladder Match had a fantastic Fatal-4-Way to see who gained the last piece of momentum heading into the big match Sunday.
While Natalya came out on top during that match, Sasha Banks was putting the Bank Statement on anything that moved. The photo above captures the essence and emotion of the moment, but it's hard to tell who is suffering more between Banks and Ember Moon.
#14 - The antics of the IIconics are delightful, just ask them...
If The IIconics are annoying you, then they are doing their job. On this week's edition of SmackDown Live, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce did a great job of annoying the four women who will compete in the Money In The Bank Ladder Match.
This picture perfectly captures the essence of The IIconics as they proceeded to make fun of all four wrestlers in the ring. One of their targets was Charlotte Flair, and if you move on to the next picture, you'll see the reaction from The Queen.
#13 - Charlotte is not impressed with The IIconics
When The IIconics were making fun of the women participating in the Money In The Bank Ladder Match, the photographer brilliantly captured a great look on Charlotte Flair's face as she reacted to Billie Kay and Peyton Royce making fun of her "dressing in her daddy's robes and drinking tea."
I just love this look on The Queen's face here. You could tell that she really wasn't impressed with the barbs that The IIconics were throwing her way. This will not be the last time Charlotte and The IIConics appear on this list either.
#12 - The Miz is clearly not a fan of pancakes or The New Day
The Miz talked his way into being the special guest referee for the first-time match between Samoa Joe and Rusev this week on SmackDown Live. As expected, The Miz would bring some shenanigans to the match; which would cost Samoa Joe the match.
After the match, Rusev would bring in a ladder and try to climb up it to grab the Money In The Bank briefcase, but Miz would hit him with a Skull Crushing Finale and grab the briefcase himself.
The joke was on Miz though as The New Day had somehow snuck pancakes into the briefcase, infuriating Miz.
#11 - A beautiful moonsault from Charlotte Flair onto the IIconics
This is the third photo involving Charlotte Flair and The IIconics this week, this time it's the use of actions rather than words. After the melee to kick off SmackDown Live this week, there was a ten-women tag team match that would be the main event.
A staple in the repertoire of Charlotte is the moonsault from the top rope to the outside. The photographer captures this move beautifully as you can see Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose getting out of town; while The IIconics had nowhere to go.
#10 - One of the more devasting tandem moves in the WWE today
One of the biggest surprises of April's Superstar Shakeup was the team of Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre appearing on Monday Night Raw. They are clearly on a mission and their goal of the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships could be within reach VERY soon.
They took on Breezango this week and disposed of them in quick fashion. Ziggler and McIntyre have one of the most impressive tandem finishers in the WWE with the combination of the Zig Zag and Claymore Kick.
#9 - A painful game of Twister between Pete Dunne and Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle O'Reilly of The Undisputed Era and WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne had a spectacular main event on this week's edition of NXT. For those who are familiar with both wrestlers, you know that they are tremendous mat technicians and it was on display this past Wednesday.
The photo above looks like a game of Twister gone wrong as it appears both men have a submission hold on each other. Though O'Reilly faced The Bitter End to lose the match, his Undisputed Era buddies came in to attack after the match.
#8 - I don't think that guitar is playable, Seth
The great feud between Seth Rollins and Elias continued to escalate this week on Monday Night Raw. Elias was (supposedly) given a custom acoustic/electric guitar with his name and the WWE Intercontinental Championship painted on it.
Rollins had enough of Elias' trash talk and came out to fight. Unfortunately for Elias he bailed and forgot to grab that customized guitar.
After a couple minutes of teasing, Rollins delivered his patented stomp onto the guitar, then hilariously acted like he was playing the busted up instrument.
#7 - Jeff Hardy is clearly not impressed with Shinsuke Nakamura's antics
Shinsuke Nakamura has always been known for his shenanigans in the ring, especially when he backs his opponent into the corner and rests his head on their chest. He would do that same trademark move to Jeff Hardy in their non-title match this week on SmackDown Live.
Continuing this week's ongoing theme of great facial reactions, you can see Jeff Hardy was quite perplexed at the antics of Nakamura in their first-time match-up on SmackDown Live this week.
#6 - Behold the amazing height of the Coup de Grace
Fatal-4-Way matches bookended Monday Night Raw this week. They started with the women who will compete in the Money In The Bank Ladder Match and ended with the men who will be a part of the same.
In this amazing photo, you can see the great height that Finn Balor gets when he attempts his Coup de Grace finisher. Unfortunately for Balor, it was not enough as The Monster Among Men was able to overcome Balor, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Roode.
#5 - The Miz (and his finger) finds out that he shouldn't mess with Samoa Joe
In an effort to get an advantage going into the Money In The Bank Ladder Match, The Miz weaseled his way into being the special guest referee in the first-time match between Samoa Joe and Rusev.
In this photo, you can see that The Miz quickly learned that he should not mess with Samoa Joe at any point in time. Unfortunately for Joe, this distraction led to Rusev getting the upset win and much-needed momentum going into Sunday.
#4 - This is what it looks like to face Braun Strowman
The main event of Monday Night Raw this week saw the four men's competitors of the Money In The Bank Ladder Match compete in a Fatal-4-Way match. Throughout the night, Kevin Owens would try to get Finn Balor and Bobby Roode on his side to gang up on Braun Strowman.
As you can see in this photo, things were not going well for the trio looking to take on The Monster Among Men. The look of desperation and despair says it all here.
#3 - Ronda Rousey shows the world that it is possible to get the armbar on Nia Jax...
Though Ronda Rousey may not have been expecting it so soon, her first singles match in the WWE is going to be for the WWE Raw Women's Championship when she takes on Nia Jax at Money In The Bank.
Throughout the past few weeks, a cocky Jax proclaimed that there was no way that Rousey could get her patented armbar on the much bigger Jax. As you can see in this photo, Rousey was able to do so putting a lot more doubt in Jax's mind going into Sunday.
#2 - Something tells me that Roman Reigns is not taking Sunil Singh seriously
Just six days before Money In The Bank, it appeared that Jinder Mahal was going to take on Roman Reigns. It was an odd decision for sure, but in the end, we learned it was a ruse by Mahal and Sunil Singh took his place on Monday Night Raw this week.
To continue the ongoing theme of facial expressions this week, the look on Roman's face says it all. Sunil is getting ready to land a punch and all Roman can do is smile and destroy.
#1 - An amazing frog splash off of the top of a ladder by KO
Bobby Roode and Finn Balor begrudgingly decided to take Kevin Owens up on his offer and team up on Braun Strowman in the Fatal-4-Way match that main evented Monday Night Raw this week. For a while, the plan was coming together and a major part of that was the best photo of this week.
Roode and Balor placed Strowman on the announce table and KO climbed all the way to the top of a ladder and delivered an amazing frog splash onto Strowman. Unfortunately for KO, Roode, and Balor, it only took Strowman out for a short time before he recovered.
